Law of Maintenance

Law of Maintenance is a concise, practice-oriented handbook that demystifies maintenance law and procedure across common scenarios: spousal support, child maintenance (minor and major), and maintenance to parents and dependent relatives. The book begins with statutory sources and principles (who may claim, who must pay, and categories of maintenance), then explains filing jurisdictions, interim relief, proof of need and means, calculation methodologies (monthly vs lump-sum, imputed income, standard of living), and interaction with divorce, domestic-violence and criminal provisions. Practical chapters address enforcement of orders (attachment, committal, Lok Adalat/mediation routes, cross-border enforcement), modification and variation, and special situations like maintenance against non-resident payors and maintenance during appeals. Each chapter provides model pleadings (interim and final petitions), sample affidavits, evidence checklists, calculation worksheets, and step-by-step procedural checklists for registry filing and execution. The text also discusses policy issues—gender-neutral maintenance, maintenance for elderly parents, and best practices for negotiated settlements. Designed for frontline practitioners, legal aid counselors and litigants, this volume turns complex statutory rules into actionable workflows that reduce delays and maximise enforceability.